A Baltimore County couple whose home was ravaged by fire in January has been fighting with their insurance company, which they believe is trying to avoid paying the claim. The I-Team's Barry Simms reports.

FIRE RAVAGED THEIR HOME IN JANUARY. A BALTIMORE COUNTY COUPLE HAS BEEN FIGHTING WITH THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY OVER THE CLAIM. THEY CONTACTED THE I-TEAM BECAUSE THEY FELT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS AVOIDING PAYING THE CLAIM. BARRY SIMMS HAS THEIR STORY. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THIS HOME. PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW HOW HAVE THE FIRE DAMAGED IT. THE WADDELL'S CANNOT LIVE HERE. THEY WANT TO WEAR YOU DOWN. THEY THOUGHT THEIR HOMEOWNERS POLICY WOULD COVER THE DAMAGE. THEY HAD NO IDEA THE BATTLE IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE CLAIM SETTLED. FROM DAY ONE, HE SAID YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR POLICY TOTAL AMOUNT. WE DON'T DO THAT. WE COME OUT, WE ASSESS, AND WE GO FROM THERE. THEY SAY IT WILL COST $223,000 TO REBUILD. THE FIRST OFFER, A QUARTER OF THAT. $58,000. THE POINT OF CONTENTION, THIS CONCRETE FLOOR. ACCORDING TO THE W ADDELL'S, THAT MEANT THE INTERESTED HAVE TO COVER IT. WE ARE DOING A STORY LOOKING INTO THE PROCESS OF WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG. I FIND THAT MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS NITPICKING ON EVERY SINGLE THING THEY CAN DO. THEY QUESTIONED A CLAIMS ADJUSTER ABOUT THE COVERAGE. WE ARE NOT TRYING TO AVOID PAYMENT. WHAT CAUSED THE FLOOR TO SETTLE. IS IT BECAUSE -- IS IT DIRECTLY COST FROM THE FIRE, OR THE WATER, OR THE FIRE AND THE WATER? STRUCTURAL ENGINEER INSPECTED THE HOUSE FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY. MY ASSESSMENT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRE-EXISTING. THEY HIRED A NEW JUNIOR -- THEY HIRED ENGINEER WHO DISAGREED. YOU WOULD RATHER DIG IN THE FLOOR, MAKE THIS TIME GO FURTHER ALONG, AND HIGHER ENGINEERS TO DO ALL THIS WORK TO AVOID PAYING A CLAIM. IT IS SO FRUSTRATING. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO AVOID PAYING A CLIENT. THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS PAY THE CLAIM BASED ON POLICY. ALEX BROWN IS A FORMER INSURANCE ADMINISTRATIVE ATTORNEY. HE IS NOT THE WADDEL L'S LAWYER. IT IS AN INCREDIBLY LONG TIME. IT'S UNFAIR TO THE POLICY HOMERS. -- POLICY OWNERS. THEY ARE OUT OF THEIR HOUSE. THEY WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE TIMELINE OF THE CLAIM, SAYING WE CHOOSE NOT TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS THOSE DETAILS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT OUR CUSTOMER PRIVACY. ENGINEERS HIRED DID FEEL THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CONCRETE FLOOR WAS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. SAFECO INCREASE THE PAYMENT -- THE PAYMENT. IT IS SETTLEMENT UNDER DARIUS. LIKE THEY SAY IT ISN'T COVER THE COST OF REBUILDING THEIR HOME. THEY ARE ANXIOUS TO MOVE FORWARD. IT IS A BETTER DAY. IT IS SOMETHING TO